The Decoy
by mayhemb
Summary: Mission? Take bullets, save lives, kill. The usual. Problem? Nine men that she knows absolutely nothing about... Join The Decoy as she goes through her new life as the brand new Support Class for the RED team.
1. New Arrival

Hi. Me again, hello. I may just do these little Author notes at the top every once and a while.

I have high hopes for this fanfiction, and I may take it farther than my other ones. I may even do a little tumblr blog for it, but that's still to be determined.

Anyway, I hope you all enjoy.

* * *

Plastic shoes clacked against the tiled floors of a deep hallway, following behind a set of carefully clicking heels.

Miss Pauling smiled softly as she glanced behind her at the newest recruit for the RED team.

A tanned Filipino woman with vividly dark brown eyes, and dark brown hair that had been hacked with an axe to her shoulders. She wore a carefully buttoned red shirt, black shorts, and a pair of rather unfitting plastic sandals. Snuggly around her neck, and covering her mouth, was a yellow cloth.

"How was your flight?"

…..

"Still jet lagged?"

…..

Miss Pauling nodded, and simply turned back around and walked. The woman didn't seem all that 'up' to be here. She could understand though, this sort of business wasn't filled with all that much glamour or glitz, nor was it one to really brag about to the fam-Well..Most family.

Upon the coming of the new year, with the 70's rolling in the next year, the Administrator had noticed a rather disheartening discovery. For two years the men of the war had gotten wise about their little war it seemed, and majority of the time just focused on killing one another except actually doing the achievement or their goal.

It hindered progress to an existential amount, and would just lead to them getting done with their jobs quicker if they killed off one another left and right. More kills, more points, more money, more chances of getting done early.

Getting their job done quicker meant that they would have time to spend outside of work.

Left room to ponder.

Left room to question..

...

She didn't need that.

Thus came the birth of the newest support class, a position filled for a specific gender that would definitely get male attention.

A proper Decoy.

The door to the Administration's office opened with a creak, and the aged female hummed as she blew out a puff of smoke.

"Administrator." Miss Pauling smiled at her, ushering the FIlipino in. "She's arrived."

"I noticed, Miss Pauling…." The boss looked over the woman in the sandals, and pointed at a seat before her desk. "Sit."

There was a pause, a question it seemed, about if she should trust the seat and the two woman in the room…..Before finally going over and sitting down in it, shifting in the seat a bit with a frown. Seats were terribly uncomfortable…

Rather blatantly ignoring the woman's discomfort, the Administrator slid over a manila folder that had papers inside. "Please, check to make sure all of the information we have is correct, Miss."

Real names were restricted it seemed throughout the place, aside from Miss Pauling..Though, perhaps, that wasn't even her real name.

Still, she did as told. The Filipino carefully took the folder and flickered through the chicken scratch that she didn't understand, and only saw the numbers.

Her age.

Weight.

Height.

Number of family members, with a few of their names...

All seemed to be in order, as far as she could tell.

With a nod, she returned the manila folder after signing by an "X_ _ _ _" sort of formation at the bottom of the last page.

The woman with smoke as her air gave a wired smile it seemed. Wire like the cage that she was now entrapped in, as a glint of metal was seen from the Filipina's side, and she felt the all-too familiar sting of a metal rod hitting her head.

Lights out.

* * *

She blinked awake later, feeling the side of her head, anticipating a wince...Only to blink in surprise when she felt no sort of pain on her head, but more in her chest it seemed, her heart beat off it felt like...

"Ah, you're awake." Miss Pauling...The glasses wearing woman was seated right beside her as she laid in a room. Her room, she guessed, by the fact that her belongings had been moved here. The two ruck-sacks of clothes that she had, a few bags of lollipops, and a little journal with a few letters... "I'm glad. Now, we've already had you fitted with our latest biological technology inside of you, and have fitted your uniform that you'll be using. Please make sure that you stay in uniform whenever you're on the job."

With a hum, Miss Pauling went to the corner of the room, and brought over a bag of weapons.

As she was walking though, the Filipino looked around a bit. It was a small wooden room it seemed, her bed plush and soft, softer than any one that she could remember having...A little window above her brought in some natural light, and a light bulb was carefully put in the middle of the ceiling.

"Here are your weapons." Aaaand Miss Pauling brought her back to reality...Carefully, she sat up, and looked over the weapons as the purple-clad girl handed them to her. "Your primary is a CIS Ultimax 100, it should be okay, and you can get practice with it during your training. Secondary are a few flash bang explosives, and a tiny pistol that you can keep on you. Melee is a Igorot Headhunting Axe, and should be rather simple to use. Take it, swing, done. You'll also be set up with a little mini teleporter that can send you to your team mates at any given time."

With that, the glasses wearer held out a hand to the newest member of the team. "Welcome aboard, Decoy."

* * *

The Decoy frowned as she adjusted her new shirt, frowning at it. She wore a red button down long sleeved shirt, an orange vest, black pants, red shoes, her tattered yellow bandanna still around her neck to cover her mouth. On the vest was a line of flash bangs, and a few flares that Miss Pauling gave her on the side. On her back, the handle of an ax peeked out over her right shoulder.

On a little muted orange sash though on her left arm, was a symbol marked in red. An explosion sign, with what looked to be an interrobang in the middle of it...

"And here." The woman turned, waving a hand towards a locker. "Is where you'll keep majority of your weapons before your killings, they'll be safe here, don't worry...Unless a Spy comes in, but you'll figure out what to do if that happens."

* * *

(place: Intel Room for RED base)

That was a bit easier.

The new Support class hummed, rolling her shoulders a bit as she walked into a sort of conference room of the Red Base, almost all of her weapons gone...She did keep a few flash bangs in her pockets, in case something were to happen.

She didn't trust this place yet...

"Anyway, the other mercs'll be in soon from their recent round." Miss Pauling hummed out, looking at the tanner female. "Do you have any questions?"

"...Not really." Her accent and voice were a bit muffled by the the bandanna, and she made no indication that she was going to remove it any time soon. "...How are d'ey?"

"...Eeeeh, you'll find out for yourself." The purple wearing girl gave her a comforting smile, patting her shoulder, before turning and leaving the woman on her own. "Good luck!"

"...Salamat po.." (thank you)

She carefully walked over to one of the chairs there, sitting with a frown and a crease in her eyebrow, and folded her hands..Before tapping her fingers on the table...Then tapping her foot.

Then glancing at the clock.

Alright, ten seconds had past since Pauling left...

How long did killing someone take?

Her arms stayed at her side though, reaching back so she could rest her hands on the little railing in front of the glass panes. Beneath, a million machines it felt like, all of which she didn't know WHAT their function was. Yet their appearance was enough to make her feel even more out of place..

Once she had made this connection though, her ears perked up at the sound of several pairs of feet. Some going slow, one heavier than the rest, some going medium speed, one lighter and a bit more impatient.

She wanted to look in the mirror, and check how she looks, even though she knew.

She was at a good height, a bit under six feet...Light weight, with a bit of rounding in her hips and waist...A good chest..

She exercised a lot, her job requiring it.

Nothing to be self-conscious about...

Darling, you kill people. You wear people's blood as war paint, you don't have to be worried about making sure you look good in front of a couple of men...Yet she did, and she felt so _disgusted_ by it.

Her hands clenched around the railing as the light footsteps finally came to the doorway, a scrawny twig of a man walking in, adjusting the bandages around his hands. How she hadn't heard him coming was beyond her, maybe her nerves blocked out his voice. "'n so I tells tha guy that I'm SO gonna bash his head in an-An...We-he-heeell~ Helloooo there doll face...!"

Decoy would have loved it if looks could kill...It would make dealing with idiots like him a whooole lot more easier...

"WHY IS A FEMALE HERE? SPY! IS SHE ONE OF YOUR'S?" A male with a helmet far to low on his face yelled out, spit flying at a few of the words.

"No, I remember _every_ lovely face I see."

...

Okay, so the guy in the mask thing wasn't all that bad. At least he wasn't too annoying like the man in the bucket of a hat, or the guy with the baseball that was yammering away.

Carefully the woman in the room reached into her vest, and pulled out a little card that Miss Pauling had told her to give to them, explaining 'everything' apparently. Gingerly, she handed it to a male in a yellow worker's hat, who smiled and nodded as he took it.

"Thank ya kindly, M'am." He tipped his hat softly, before looking over the card, and passing it around the room carefully.

 _ **The Decoy**_

 ** _Job:_**

 ** _Take bullets for you_**

 ** _Distract Enemy_**

 ** _Make sure RED doesn't lose_**

 ** _-Administrator_**

Decoy waited for the men to read the card, some of them taking a bit longer than other's, while she didn't even bother to read it. She knew she couldn't. Written English didn't process with her, thus, it left her kind of...

Well, astray, a bit..Especially at the air port.

Yet she knew her job.

She was a distraction, her name conveyed it. Her life was worth half of one of the men's, whatever that meant...And that she was a Support-Class, again, whatever that meant.

Honestly Miss Pauling, explain things before you wander off by yourself...

The final male, a man with tiny circular glasses, didn't look at the card and simply passed it back to the female. "Nein, I don't need to look, I know you bett'ah than anyone else!"

..This earned him an odd look.

"Zat is to say, I have been in your heart."

An even _odder_ look.

"Vell, I gave you a new one, wiz adjustments...! _Improvements_!"

...Aaand yeah, Decoy gave him a look that was basically confusion and uncertainty all in one...

"Have you eaten yet, fraulein?"

..Small shake of her head. No, she hadn't..In the rush to try and understand different writing of a different language, she never got something to eat during her flights..

"Ach, zat von't do! Come, let's get you somezing to eat. Aft'ah all, I need to make sure your heart doesn't go boom!"

...

Dear lord, what did she get herself into?


	2. The First Day

I would like to inform the readers who have been complaining/pointing out to me a bit that my lack of information in the first chapter was intentional. I don't want to shove Decoy's entire life and living backstory to you from the get go, I want you to learn piece by piece as the story proceeds.

* * *

"Now, do you have any pains?" The Medic, who had happily introduced himself to the new female, smiled from across the table. They were eating...Well, what seemed to be Gruel...

Or, the food of war, so says the man trying to quote the Art of War.

"No."

"Good, any vision impai'ah'ments?"

"No."

"Good, any-"

"I am fine, doc'd'or.."

So maybe fine wasn't the best term for it all. A splitting head ache wasn't usually what she liked to have, but she knew it was the easiest way to shut the male up by simply telling him she was 'fine'.

"Ah, good." The Medic smiled, putting his fingertips together as he gave a pleasant look, and standing with a hum. He put his dishes in the kitchen and happily waved to the group as he left. "I bett'ah go now. Test to run, things to kill and revive. Auf Wiedersehe~"

The others gave their own goodbyes; Sniper and Spy quiet nods, Scout with a 'smell ya later' or something, Soldier with a salute, Heavy with a joyful laugh and a bidding of goodbye...Demo gave a drunken wave, waving the bottle in his hand after the doctor, the Engineer gave a polite and simple goodbye, then finally the Pyro gave an odd muffled noise from behind his mask.

"Paalam." (Goodbye) Decoy murmured, eating the last of her...Meal...With that she carefully stood up, dusting off the hem of her shirt and her pants, before going to the kitchen and disposing of her plate. She paused for a moment, staring at it...

Before sighing and carefully starting to wash her dish, along with the Medic's. Call it paranoia, but she didn't want her saliva being on this..Plus, she just didn't like seeing the dishes in the sink.

"Hey, thanks Doll!" Scout was heard wizzing by, dumping his dish into the pile also, and running off. "I owe ya one!"

...

She knew that he was never going to repay her for the deed.

With a grumble she began to wash Scout's di-

"KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK SOLDIER!"

Aaaand here comes Soldier's dish. Wonderful. Okay, she could handle this. She's dealt with many dishes before, and it wasn't that demanding of a task-

"Thank ya kindly Sheela~"

"Merci."

"D'ank you lee'd'le woman."

...

Decoy felt her eye twitch as she glared at the stack of dishes laid out before her, of slightly varied sizes with some still containing food. Honestly, did none of these people do their own work?

...

Oh wait, they kinda did...

With a huff she shook the thought out of her head and went to the dinning room, blinking at the empty chair with empty alcohol bottles surrounding it. Well, Demo had left it seemed.

Which left-

"Don't ya worry 'bout my dishes." Engineer hummed as he got up, picking up his own bowl and Demo's. "Ah'll handle mine 'n Demo's, ya seem ta have more than enough on yer hands already."

With a comforting smile from the man in the hard hat, he walked through the little doors that lead to the kitchen...And for a moment, Decoy just paused. A bit of the strain just came off her shoulders it felt like, and she gave a small smile beneath her bandanna.

That was nice, actually..

Engineer didn't seem so bad.

* * *

After she had gotten the dishes washed, dried, and put away, Decoy went over to a few sets of encased pay phones. They had a sort of room around them for privacy sake, that way they didn't have to worry about getting spied on.

Plus, it only made out-of-the-area calls, thankfully. Things like conversation with the BLU team was impossible, so that just left outside people and 'upper management'.

Great for Bank calls, Car repairs, Job Hiring...

Home calls..

The Filipino closed the door in one of the smaller phoning rooms, and put in the change, dialing the code and numbers..Before waiting...And waiting...And wai-

" _Kumusta?_ " (Hello?)

She smiled when she heard a male's voice, running a few fingers through her hair. "Hello to you too, Ace."

There was a shake and a clatter on the other line, someone falling out of his chair most likely... " _LIGAYA?.!_ "

"Sh!" She hissed out into the phone, giving a cautious glance at the door... "My name's Decoy, o'b'er here.. "

" _Decoy?_ "

"Yes."

" _Bakit_ _?_ " (Why?)

"Long story."

" _I ha'b'e long d'ime._ " The chair was picked up off the ground and reset, and Decoy sighed, running a hand through her hair...And recapping all that had happened to her. From going on the airplane, suffering the airplane food, landing in America, meeting the two women from before, knocking out, her job description...Everything.

After she finally told him the end of the odd dinner situation, and her cleaning up all the dishes, she felt exhausted.

" _Ate.._ " (ah-teh, big sister) Ace started out after a moment, sighing. " _Be more...How do you say.._ _P'riendly?_ "

"D'ey're all murderers."

" _And you aren'd?_ "

Touche.

" _Look, j'oo'st...Spend time wit' d'em, learn a bit. You ne'b'er shoot gun, you must learn. Learn now, not la'd'er."_

And yet again, the male was right...She didn't know why she even tried to talk her way out of things with him. "...P'ine.."

" _Salamat po Ate~_ " (Thank you big sister)

"Mmhm...Go d'o work, Ace..I'll call tomorrow."

" _Ah...Paalam~_ " (Goodbye)

"Goodnight." She gave a small smile, sighing as she hung up the phone...Before stretching, and departing the booth to go get ready for bed, already feeling sleep start to creep in.

Decoy rubbed her eyes a bit in annoyance, not one to miss the chance to get some sleep, especially in this line of work. Sleep came and went as it pleased sometimes..So she didn't want to miss any-

"MM-MMM!"

"GAH!" The Decoy jumped, falling backwards as she was in mid-yawn, eyes having closed and popping open to see Pyro. "Ah...H-Hello, Pyro.."

The male gave her a happy wave, before reaching down and tugging her back up. He gave her a good, reassuring pat on the shoulder...Well, she presumed it was a he, underneath there..If she thought too much about it, and questioned it, it would leave her with a terrible headache.

Yet the thought was interrupted as he dragged her down the hallway, past the doors of her other team mates. Each one burned or labeled with the class' symbol. Heavy, Medic, Soldier, Demo, Engineer, Scout..Sniper and Spy were near the corner that the hallway took, and past the corner was two final doors.

Her's, and Pyro's it seemed.

She blinked as she stood before her own doorway, hand on the doorknob..And glanced back at Pyro, who gave a little wave before entering his own room. From the portion of it that was shown in the hallway's light, it seemed to be a bit burnt up...And with a whole lot of candles.

..

She shrugged it off again, pushing the fact to the far corners of her mind as she entered her own room and locked the door behind her. It was almost suffocating how at ease she felt in the enclosed room, away from prying eyes.

The woman gave a sigh a relief, leaning against the door for a moment, listening to a clock somewhere down the hallway tick.

...

...

With a small smile she stood up and went to her unpacked bags, carefully putting her clothes in the dresser along with her sets of work attire. Shirts, bras, underwear, pants and skirts. All nice and neat, with socks in a little hamper to the side. Good luck trying to go and get yourselves lot now, you slippery bastards...

Atop the dresser laid out the usual things. Two extra bandannas, her lucky earrings, a ring with a ruby in it, make-up kit, her poisoning kit that she had hidden away in a looot of her clothes and perfume to get past customs...With all of the little corner set up, she felt a bit inclined to retire for the night. Yeah, some sleep would do her good.

She stuffed the packages of lollipops into her dresser with her shirts, and the journal with letters...She glanced around, trying to find a good space...Before inching the dresser forward a bit, and slipping it behind the piece of furniture in a hollow part, before returning it to it's place.

Quickly Decoy changed into a dark red t-shirt and some shorts. She crawled into bed and kicked off the covers, curling around a pillow, and drifted off into a null sleep.

* * *

The next morning was beautiful. The sun was rising, the nights chill was fading, the birds tweeting..

Decoy was at peace, laying in her bed, eyes half open as she watched the orange light trickle in through the window panes.

Though she was an avid fan of sleep, she couldn't help but wake up at sunrise.

To see such a sight, and let the feeling of peace envelop yo-

She gave a started yell when a loud blaring brass sound interrupted her peace and tranquility. The sound coming from right outside of her dang door..

With a grumble she got up, grabbing a flash bang from her vest as she quietly went over..Silently unlocking the door and-

"GOOOOD MORNING MAG-" Soldier got cut off by a startled punch to the face, having bent over a bit to get to Ligaya's height. He blinked, leaning back a bit...Before giving a booming laugh, and pulling Decoy out, patting her back harshly. "Now THAT'S a good greeting!"

The woman felt a bit unsettled by the laugh and smile, glancing back at her door. How long would it take for her to go back in, and lock the door..? Maybe even prop a chair against it?

She wasn't given any time to think though as Soldier hooked an arm beneath on of her's, and dragged her away from her safe haven. "Now, we have MUCH to learn today! We need to get you ready for WAR missy! And-"

"AY SOLDIER, SHUT UP!" Scout was heard from his room as they passed by, causing Soldier to huff and pause for a moment.

"SCOUT, GET OUT HERE AND JOIN US AND MAYBE _YOU_ WILL LEARN THE TRUE MEANING OF PUTTING YOUR HEART INTO EACH AND EVERY BULLET THAT PLUMMETS THROUGH YOUR OPPONENT'S HEAD!"

Decoy took the opportunity to slip out of Soldier's grasp and run back to her room, locking the door, and waiting..

She wasn't going back out there for at least another hour.

* * *

~At Least One Hour Later~

* * *

...

The woman cautiously stepped towards the door of her room, having changed into her work clothes, and gripping the flash bangs for dear life. She gulped, tension rising as her heard beat against her rib cage, wanting free of the bony prison. Okay...It's nothing too bad, just the possibility of meeting some insane man outside yammering to the high heavens during an ungodly hour of the day.

No big deal.

Not like he'd be _mad_ at you for ditching him or anything...

Eugh.

Steeling her nerves though she took a deep breath, and squared herself. As quietly as she could, she removed the chair from beneath the doorknob, and unlocked it...Okay..

Three.

Two.

One.

She flung the door open, finger resting on the Flash Bang's pin and-Oh, hello Pyro.

The male had just opened his own door it seemed across the hallway, and gave her a careful wave, before happily meandering down the hallway...What an odd, odd little-..Okay, they were the same height, so not so little..-man.

Decoy blinked once, then twice, before putting the weapon back on her vest, and following the pyromaniac after closing her door. It seemed a bit odd, in all honesty..To hear things so quiet, knowing that nine other people were also here..

Then again, chances were high that most of them were asleep. Yeah, those ones were the smart people.

"Mornin'." A voice from behind her reeled her in from her thoughts, and she turned to see Sniper behind her, coming out of his room with a coffee pot.

"..Morning." She murmured, glancing around a bit. Alright Decoy, you could do this. Be social! Just like Ace had told you. "Uhm...How are you?"

"Piss poor, that's how it is till I get my coffee."

"Oh.."

He paused by, still half-asleep it seemed as he rubbed the back of his neck, and left her in the hallway. She glanced around for a moment...Before carefully going back to the pay phones, wanting to make another call home...

* * *

Decoy sighed heavily as she finally walked into the dinning area, her stomach giving a hungry lurch as she sat down. Glancing around, she smiled...Soldier and Scout weren't here yet, it seems, and neither was Demo.

Good.

"Bonjour." Spy was the first one to greet her, glancing over a cup of coffee that he had in his hand. "Did you sleep well?"

"P'ine. Sala-...T'ank you."

He opened his mouth to say more it seemed, when Pyro came through the kitchen door, hopping from foot to foot as he did a little dance. In his hands he carried several plates of toast with melted butter, hard boiled eggs, and what _looked_ like slightly burnt berries..

"Soldi'ah's been runnin' Scout outside since dawn." In came Demoman, chuckling under his breath as he walked through those doors, and plopped down in an open seat besides Decoy. "How ya holdin' up Lass?"

"Good." With that the man popped open another bottle of alcohol, and even offered it to Decoy with a slight smile. "I'm sorry, I don't drink."

"Not even a wee sip in case 'uh celebration?"

"No."

...Demoman shrugged, before drinking from the bottle. "Your choice lass, not mine. Yet ya don't know what y'er missin' out on."

Decoy nodded, thankful for no other pestering questions, and just enjoying her breakfast while she could..Until Soldier came in, blaring that god awful brass instrument again. The woman felt her head go blank as the helmet wearing male yelled gibberish after gibberish, marking along the room as Scout took a grateful seat at the table.

The thinner boy started to wolf down the charred food, gulping down several glasses of water as he did so.

"-AND YOU!" The Filipino jumped when the Soldier pointed at her, and quirked an eyebrow.

"Yes?"

"LEAVE YOUR FRILLS IN YOUR ROOM! TODAY, YOU TRAIN LIKE A _**MAN**_!"

..Oh the things she could say or do to this man right now. That fork in her hand beckoned for her to just jab it into the shouting male's jugular..Come on, you know you want it..

Yet she swallowed her own pride down and shakingly set down the utensil, wiping her mouth of the crumbs. "Alright, I'll go to my room d'en and put up my...'P'rills'."

She rolled her eyes, taking her dish to the kitchen before going back to her room with a grumble.

* * *

Pryo had been kind enough to knock on the door once it was time to go and train, and walked with her down the echoing hallways. Through his mask he tried to converse with her, using his hands to accent certain 'mm' 'hm' and other sounds.

She did feel a bit sorry that she couldn't understand a single word he was saying..He sounded so enthusiastic about..Something..

"Ah, Decoy, just the girl I wanted to see." Miss Pauling's voice came out from behind them, causing the two mercenaries to turn around and look at her. "Pyro, you mind giving us some time to talk in private?"

"Mm-hm!" The masked male gave a wave to his new friend before going off to the training area.

"So, how are things with the guys coming along?"

"Eh...T'ey are..Coming along...I suppose.."

"Well..Here, let me try and help you..What's the toughest thing about working with them?"

"Actually working wit' t'em."

"Ah.." The purple dressed woman nodded her head, understanding a bit. There had been nothing but fights and awkwardness when the nine men started out together. "Well..You have to protect them, and know how the opposing team is like, and how to distract them. Right?"

"Yes."

"Then why don't you spend some time and just...Well, watch the boys? Ya know, learn from observing."

Learning from observing?..Alright, yeah, she could do that.. "But..Why does it matt'ee'r that I obser'b'e t'em? Shouldn't I res'ee'rch t'e opposing team?"

"You'll find out later, trust me."

After receiving an encouraging pat on the back, Decoy made her way to the doors that lead to the training area.

Welp, here goes nothing..


	3. First Kill

Hi, I'd like to actually answer a quick question that i had gotten a little while back.

"Why does Decoy's secondary include a pistol and the Flashbangs?"

This is sort of a nod to a holster that I had found out about while scoping for Flash Bangs themselves.

Flash Bangs themselves are little canisters that act as grenades. But instead of fire and destruction, they make a little 'bang' of light to disorient people.

A "Flash Bang" is also the name for a type of holster that is attached to the front of a woman's bra, between the two cups, to the point where you wouldn't notice that a gun is actually hidden beneath her shirt.

She is given the ability to carry both at the same time, but with a small cost or a switch-off. This will later be brought up in an upcoming chapter, so I won't go into too much detail right now.

* * *

Decoy smiled softly as she stepped out into the dry dessert air, stretching. Good, warm, air..Take a deep breath in, release...

With a cough though, adjusting the bandanna, she carefully started out of the metal door that lead outside. Glancing around she looked at her team mates, each one of them doing their own little thing it seems..Alright, this shouldn't be too hard..Just, go near one and watch, yeah? Yea-

"MAGGOT!" She jumped at the sudden yell, whipping around to Soldier. "WHERE ARE YOUR WEAPONS?.!"

...Weapons?

She looked down, frowning when she realized she had left her gun and ax in the locker.. "..Heh...Uhm...Forg'ee't?"

"GET THEM THEN!" This time she didn't argue with the shouting man, almost sprinting to get her weapons. And right as she came out- "MAGGOT!"

"H-HUH?.!"

"YOU DO _NOT_ **_EVER_** HOLD YOUR GUN LIKE THAT, DO YOU HEAR ME?.!"

..There was a way to hold a gun? She blinked a few times in confusion, before looking at her 'primary' weapon..Whatever that meant..One hand around the fatter end of the gun, she thinks her brother told her once that it was called the 'butt' of a gun, and the other held an odd circular device that was on the underside of it..The thing itself was pointing down, she now noticed, at her feet.

Oh...

 _ **Oh**_.

She moved to hold it long ways instead, it resting in her arms like a log as she gave Soldier a poor excuse of a grin. The male seemed to give her a look beneath his helmet, before getting behind her and pushing her towards cut out images of..Their team? Huh?

"THAT. Is the enemy. YOU are _their_ enemy. Shoot them."

She felt her heart drop at this. Shoot them? As in... _With her gun_? She glanced at the cut outs, at her gun, then back at Soldier..

"..What are you waiting for?" He growled out, tapping his foot it seems in impatience. "The enemy will have sprouted LEAVES before you shoot them at this rate!"

"Uhm...Heh..I uh...Ha'b'e ne'b'er...Uh...Shoot t'is kind of gun be'p'ore?" Well, that was true. Then again, she's never shot a single gun before in her life.

Her killings are carefully made with her tools. Poison, needles, drugs, alcohol, melee weapons...All such wonderful things..

Guns?

Never felt ANY sort of need for them. She didn't even want to use them. Before them things were so much easier in the Philippines, and then they started sprouting up everywhere it felt like, suffocating the more rural villages and-

She was brought out of her thoughts as Soldier took the gun, grumbling to himself as he flicked a switch to the side, pulled a lever, brought it up to his shoulder and-

Decoy flinched and put her hands over her ears as he started to shoot, almost loosing her footing. Bullet after bullet destroyed the figure that once resembled Medic..Before finally, the sound stopped, and the gun was handed back to her.

"THAT is how you shoot."

She nodded her head, and this seemed to be enough for the male right now, and with that he left to go yell somewhere else it seemed..

Once he was gone, she gave a sigh of relief, taking a few steps back to lean against a nearby wall..She slid down the surface, putting down the gun, and held her head in her hands.

She felt herself shake a bit now that she was out of everyone's sight, feeling trembles that were caused by the murder machine on the ground beside her. Her hands and feet were on fire it seems, and soon her torso started to feel the same..

Decoy practically ripped open the vest to throw out the Pistol, glaring at it.

Pull it TOGETHER Ligaya! This was your new JOB for Christ's sake!

She took a shaky breath in, letting it stay in her lungs to the point where it almost hurt..Before letting it out, and nodded her head.

Good, she was calm. Now, back to her main problem of-

"MM-MM!"

"GAH!" She flailed to the side, Pyro poking out from the corner right beside her. "PYRO!"

"MM-HM!" He seemed to say her name back, and held out his arms, hugging her tightly..Well, this was new... "Mm mm mm-hm?"

"Huh?"

"MM MM, mm-hm?"

..She blinked, and hummed back what he just said, trying to piece it together.. "..Do I ha'b'e light?"

He shook his head.

"...Am I...Alright?"

He nodded his head, giving a little conformation sound.

"Ah..Uhm...I suppose, I am.."

..The silence he gave her said it all, he didn't believe a word of that.

"Look, I-I just..I don't feel comfortable, wit' t'ese weapons." That was atleast true. Her inexperience with firearms only left her with the Flashbangs and the Ax. She sighed, chuckling a bit as she rubbed the back of her neck. "But, I'll manage. Don't worry."

Pyro seemed to give a thoughtful 'mm'..Before shrugging, and patting her back in an attempt of good nature, before going off to do...Whatever a Pyro does, she really didn't know.

..

Perhaps, though, she should start to find out.

That was her big mission in going outside today, after all. To learn more about the team, as Miss Pauling had advised her.

With a nod she carefully walked after the male, peaking around the corner. After ensuring that he was a good distance away, she started tip-toeing after him, trying to make her footsteps as quiet as possible.

After a while he finally stopped in front of several wooden cut outs of their team, pausing as he took one of the canisters off of his sash and put it in a gun-like object..Before aiming, and shoot-

Decoy winced back a bit at the sudden burst of flames that ignited from the cut outs. Ah, so _that's_ why he was called Pyro..Made sense.

She sat on the ground, watching as the masked person happily did a dance around the fire. His actions were almost childlike really..

How would she distract someone like that, who was already distracted enough by fire?

...

With a nod she stood up, and went over to him, tapping his shoulder. "Ah...Pyro?"

"Hm?" He whipped around, quirking his head to the side.

"Could...I see one of your uh...P'lares?" He seemed to tense up, putting a protective hand over his weapons as if they were his children. "J-Just for a moment! Please! You can e'b'een hold it while I just look!"

Pyro reluctantly took one of the flares on his torso off, and held it out far enough to were Decoy could see. She stared at it for a bit, measuring it just a bit away with her finger it seems..

"Alright, t'ank you!" She grins, nodding her head as she ran off. Alright, Pyro down. Now, what about-

" _ATTENTION, BLUE SPY IS IN THE BASE._ " Decoy tripped at the sudden blaring voice, and did her best to scramble up as the men seemed to race back inside, weapons drawn.

She was left out there for a moment in confusion, a blue spy?

..

Decoy sighed, and took the ax off of her back with a grumble, and began walking inside.

Alright, she could at least guess one thing.

Blue Spy was bad, simple enough, wasn't on their team. Understood.

So, that just meant that she had to look around for a male in blue clothing, right?

Alright.

That was simple enough.

Yeah!

She could do this.

* * *

She couldn't do this.

Decoy had been wandering around the halls for what felt like forever, with Soldier yelling at her to 'GUARD THE INTELLIGENCE'.

WHAT INTELLIGENCE?.!

WHERE WAS SHE GOING TO FIND THE STUPI-

..

She stared at an odd red sign with white letters and an arrow, trying to read it.

Alright..

So she knew that one of them had an "R" to begin with..And the other had an "I"..

Welp, that was all the information she needed.

With a hum she started down the path the "I" arrow had showed her, turning the few corners that now met her pathway.

Hell, one could even go to far as to say that she was feeling reassured now, knowing her way, twirling the ax loosely in her hand.

She took a final left into an open area, seeing the shutters of one of their..Oh, what were they called...

Resupply places?

Right?

Yeah, let's go with that.

Decoy smiled softly at the familiar sight of it, and took a few steps forward until she was standing beside one of the doors that most likely lead into the Intelligence Room. She leaned against the wall, watching the door and the surrounding hallways, listening..And tensing up when she heard thundering footsteps coming, gripping the ax in her hands and-

"DECOY!"

"AGH!" She flinched as Soldier rounded the corner, a shotgun in his hand. That was one of the sparingly few guns that she knew the name of..

"WHY ARE YOU HERE?.!"

...Huh? "You..Told me to guard.."

"NO I DID NOT! I WOULD HAVE REMEMBERED GIVING YOU THOSE EXACT ORDE-"

There was an odd "GAH" sound that came from him, his entire body freezing up and scrunching as his face contorted... "...Uhm..Sold'ee'r?"

...

"Sold'ee-"

She took a step back when the male fell forward, a knife of some kind sticking out from a spot on his back. She paled a bit at the sight, feeling a lump in her throat form, yet Decoy quickly swallowed it down.

This wasn't fear, it was more of an unfamiliarity.

The woman had never seen another person's 'job' before..

With a quick breath in she looked back in the hallway that Soldier had just been in, and upon seeing nothing her heart dropped. Where..Where was this guy?

She backed up into a corner as best as she could, before giving a grunt when she felt..Well, something that clearly WASN'T a corner.

Decoy whizzed around, staring blankly at the plain walls behind her.

Before cautiously reaching out a hand, skimming her finger tips along the wall and-

A gasp escaped her lips, a hand grabbed her wrist and spun her around. A swift and odd cascading sound met her ears, along with an almost familiar French tone. No, scratch that, a VERY familiar French voice. The sound of it made her pause all movement.

"So sorry madam, but we will have to meet at ano'z'ah time."

She heard a clink of metal, and before she could even think about turning around to do anything destructive, she felt a burning in her back..

And then, all she saw was black as her body fell.

* * *

Death was an odd thing to experience. It felt...strange, definitely.

First it was like an endless fall through nothing, then an unsettling floating paused it for a moment, then finally a new rushing feeling.

Funny movements and a gushing feeling in her chest, and Decoy found herself able to breathe once more. She gasped out, air filling her lungs in deep, eager breaths. Her eyes squeezed together for a moment, before slowly opening. Everything was fuzzy, it felt like, or maybe blurry was a better way to phrase it..

Like looking underwater without any goggles.

Whirling shapes and lights, danced in front of her eyes, but she couldn't make out any identifiable figures.

Finally she paused, and rubbed her eyes a bit, blinking.

Before finally looking up, and gasping when she felt two arms around her. Oh, Pyro..The male gave her a tight squeeze, giving odd 'mm' and 'hm's in a flurry that she couldn't keep up with.

"Pyro, shoo, avay for a moment, _please_." The Medic huffed, ushering the fire-starter away for a moment as he got out a flash light, and nearly blinded Decoy when he shined it into her eyes. "Can you brea'z'e?"

"Oo..."

"See?"

"Oo.."

"Smell?"

"Oo.."

"Feel z'is?" He flicks her cheek, and she nods. "Good, z'en you should be alright. Talk to me if you start vomiting blood, ja?"

"Oo..."

By now her brain seemed to finally catch up with her, it seems. She had just DIED. "W-wait!"

"Hm?" The doctor turned around, having been prepared to leave. "Vhat?"

"I...I was k'ee'lled.."

"Jah." He sounded so nonchalant about it, as if she had said that she had gotten the eggs from the hen house..

"I... _Was k'ee'lled._ "

"...Congratulations?" He quirked an eyebrow, trying to think of why she was so riled up about- "Oh! Oh, right, sorry Fraulein, just a little slip of zee mind for a moment, vorried about you bloving up and all."

That didn't make her feel any better..But he was quick to change the subject.

"Anyvay, ja, you died. You got zat right! Haha, but don't vorry, you seem to be all in one piece, vhich is good! Very good. But don't vorry, it's all part of the job." He paused, giving her shoulder a comforting pat. "You'll get used to it."

He walked off after that, adjusting his red gloves with a hum, leaving her with Pyro.

Pyro took her hand and gave her a more comforting pat in a sense, before tugging her along through the hallways and out of the odd room that she was in. Where..Where was this?

She didn't feel like asking in all honesty, and just followed the pulling man as he brought her into the dinning room.

Engineer gave a smile, bustling out grilled cheese sandwiches and french fries it seems as he noticed the last two members of the team entering. "Well looky here, where've you two been? Almost missed out on dinner."

The sudden Spy attack had pushed back their Lunch by a lot, so the team had decided to have Dinner an hour or so earlier than usual.

Pyro waved at the male, able to hear him over the cacophony in the room. "Mm-hmn."

"Respawn huh? Ah, understandable." He nodded his head, putting down the plates for the two of them before going back to get his own. The masked male helped Decoy to her seat, and plopped down beside her as the Texan returned. He gave the woman a comforting smile as he sat down. "So, how was it?"

"H..Huh?"

"Ya know, yer first respawn."

"Oh..It was uh-"

"Yeah, I rememb'ah my first respawn." Scout interjected, picking up his stuff and plopping down right beside Engineer, grinning at the trio. "'Course, it was a looooong ass time ago, hell, I don't even remember all 'uh it sometimes."

Their silence seemed to egg him on.

"I ended up goin' out in a blaze 'uh glory, heroic 'n-"

"He was air blasted off a cliff."

"SHUT UP SPY."

Spy...

Spy!

She remembered now, the voice that had come from behind her before the literal blade cut into her life line. The Filipino stiffened a bit in remembrance, feeling a nonexistent wound in the middle of her back.

The blade cutting in, ripping her muscles and nerves, engulfing her world into darkne-

"Oi, Lass." She blinked out of her own thoughts, glancing around, until finally realizing that it was Demo who had called her out. The male was situated on the other side of Scout, a bit diagonally away from her. "You alright?"

"M-mhm...Just..New, to the..Re-spawn.."

"Ah, don't worry, you'll get used ta it."

"A-alright." She stared at her food for a moment, her stomach too unsettled to eat..She shook her head, pushing hte plate of food away as she got up. "I-I'm sorry..I just..Am not hungry."

With that she practically ran out of the room and tried to get to her own room. However half way there, her stomach gave up trying to be an ally to her, and she felt everything from breakfast make it's way up top.

She raced to the bathroom, kicked up the seat, ripped off her bandanna, and hunched over the bowl for a good ten minutes..

Most of the time she was just checking through teary eyes to see if there was any blood..

Once she was sure that there wasn't though, she sniffled and nodded her head. Alright, Decoy..You..You could do this..

Her eyes landed on the mirror, looking over herself, and sighing as she went over.

Her hand reached up, running along the edges of her peaking cleft lip. It wasn't much, and it didn't disrupt her nose. The cleft stops just mid-way between her nose and where the rest of her lip was. The little impairment was fickle at times, and gave her an airy voice, plus at times it was terrible to eat or drink with..But after the years, she slowly got used to it..

Shakingly she gargled some of the faucet water, and nodded to her reflection. She was still pale it seemed, her eyes just a tiny bit red from the pained tears that had been in them. Spitting out the water she wiped her face dry, before redoing her bandanna, and walking out.

Glancing down one end of the hallway...

Glancing down the other end of the hallway..

Coast was clear.

With that, she went to the payphones and made a short call to home. The family wasn't awake, so the maid took the message for her.

The usual things really. She was alright, she was still living, still healthy, and had a place to sleep. She had water, and food, and she would send them some money soon.

Decoy stood at the little phone booth for a while, frowning to herself.

She had just died, and she didn't have the bravery to notify her own family of this. She could literally die any day, any way, and they wouldn't know anything about it. Yet..Maybe it was better this way, that they didn't know so much...

The woman meandered back to her own room, closing it with a blank look and laying down in bed, staring at the ceiling..

After hours of just staring, her eyes finally slid closed, and she was lulled into a dreamless sleep, praying that she wouldn't have to go through 'respawn' often...


	4. Antebellum and Postbellum

The following week had been hell-ish for Decoy, it seemed. She didn't talk to anyone, she didn't try to touch anyone, she just sort of ghosted around the building it felt like, the ax tightly gripped in her hand as she walked. Each corner was first peeked into by her, checking for any threats, before she continued down the lengthy hallway.

She didn't want to do this..

She didn't want to go out there..

Here she sat, pulled up in her bed like some lost child, ax beside her as she stared at the door..

Today was the day, wasn't it?

Her first time going out into that cesspool that they call a battle field.

She had been bird-pecking the food that was given to her up till now, her appetite disappearing as her body had done that day.

That _respawn_..

She knew that it had taken something from her.

But what?

What did that demon-possessed contraption _do_ to her?

Each male had noticed quickly after that single day how Decoy seemed to decline a bit. Each one either tried to help her, or just let her figure it out.

Soldier had stopped yelling as much around her it seemed, and talked in a gruff and strained voice, murmuring things. How some things just got the better of some good people..But that war shouldn't do you in completely, because then the war and your enemy would win...

Heavy would give her little comforting pats whenever they would past each other, along with a small smile. At times, silence was the most comforting thing, so he just did what he thought was right..

Medic and Spy had decided to let her figure her own emotions out for now.

Demo seemed to also stay away for a bit, and just gave her the occasional encouraging smile.

Scout had tried to give her some on-field pointers during their training sessions, stuff that usually worked out for him actually. Yet after seeing how she wasn't taking up to the tips...

* * *

"Ay Dec, c'mon man, just watch 'n learn!" Scout laughed out as he ran around Decoy, who was focused on sharpening her ax for each and every training period. "I mean hey, if ya at least try ta listen, then maybe you wouldn't die as much!"

Okay, even he flinched a bit once he realized what words flew out of his mouth, but seeing how the Filipino didn't even react..

Though she did murmur to herself it seems, still focused on her own task. "Kung sino ang masalita ay siyang kulang sa gawa. _" (_ Whoever talks much never does much.)

"..Uh...I'll...Be right back."

* * *

He ended up getting Pyro.

Pyro tried a lot of things. Bringing her stuffed animals, coloring pencils, crayons...But the items just seemed to make her sad, so those were often scrapped..He did managed to succeed in something though. Yesterday, he finally seemed to have broken through to her a bit, as did Sniper.

* * *

It was a bit after dinner, Decoy had been on her way to her room, when Pyro had zoomed right past her and sprinted to his own. He nearly broke the door down with how fast he was running, and rummaged around..

Before stopping the woman in front of her door, panting it seems behind his rubber mask..After a moment, he finally held something to her.

It was a little white candle.

Nothing really special, but..

Decoy's stone and misty face seemed to break at this, and an almost placid look over came it as she took the object...

"..Salamat po.." She murmured, before going into her room to gather something, and leaving to go to the roof.

While up there, she had taken the opportunity to light the little wick.

"Well, 'm glad ya got outta the buildin' for a bit." Sniper's voice came from behind her, and he soon sat beside her with a little grunt. "I usually come out here.."

"..Do you want me to lea'b'e?"

"..Nah, stay out here s'long as ya like."

"T'ank you.." The stillness of the night was comforting to the woman as she stared out at the stars above, breathing in the calm chill of the night. She gave a little smile, feeling the breeze brush against her for a moment, feeling at ease..

"'M sorry 'bout..Ya know." Sniper waved his hand a bit in a circular motion, trying to extend some sort of topic in his head. "..Us not findin' ya before tha Spy, that day."

She glanced down at the candle, it's flame flickering to her heart.. "..It ine'b'itable...Can not change.."

He nodded his head, rubbing the back of his neck. Even if she knew nothing about...Well, whatever country Sniper was from, she knew that he was poor at conversation. Then again, was he at fault? He _was_ a sniper, a person made for distance.

"...Salamat." She hummed out loosely, the word closing off to the still air that now surrounded them.

"Hm.."

They spent the rest of the time out there in silence, until the candle burnt out. At this, Decoy stood, scraping and scratching up the burnt wax, before starting on her way out.

"G'night, Decoy."

"..Goodnight, Snip'ee'r."

* * *

Thus, here she was again, curled up in her bed, listening to some distant clock chip away at the seconds till the blood bath.

Would there be blood though? If it was all just respawned back into the person, would there really be blood to paint the walls red?

Could you consider there being an actual body count of the bodies disappeared into thin air?

She was snapped out of her own questions when a hand knocked on her door. She grabbed her sharpened ax, and stared at the piece of wood...

"...Decoy? Ya mind if 'ah'...Come in?"

Oh...Engineer.

She sighed as she carefully got up, and undid the lock on the door, opening it carefully.

He gave a grateful smile, taking off his helmet actually for a moment and giving her a nod. "Much obliged."

"...Walang anuman." (Your welcome)

The two awkwardly stood there for a moment, waddling in the silence.. "Look...Ah know we ain't supposed ta care about each other. We're all killers, after all, hired ones. We're brought in 'cause we ain't supposed ta have feelin's."

The fact that she didn't yet close the door in his face at the silence after this, lead him to continue.

"And I don't know what kinda job ya specifically had prior ta this. But now, y'er on a team..'nd we're here ta help ya."

.. "...We..Should...Get ready, oo?"

Engineer frowned, having hoped to get a bit more out it seems..Yet he nods, coughs, and puts back on his helmet. "Yeah, we should...Ah'll be seein' ya later then, Miss."

With that he left the hallway, Decoy closing the door behind him, and going back to her bed..

A team...

A team...

She was on..A team..

Right...

The Filipino took in a deep breath, counting carefully in her mind...Before letting it out, and nodding.

On almost shaking legs she stood up and stretched for a moment, feeling her limbs pop as she twisted and turned..Before feeling her blood flow once more, and sighing.

She went to her vest that was resting on one of the posts of the bed, and put it on the mattress. She ran her hands over the fabric, feeling her nerves start to bunch up in her neck as her fingers ran over one of the odder indentations in it.

The little pistol..

Okay, calm down Decoy, you aren't even going to be using it. Yeah, you aren't..Just...Gonna..Be holding it, a lot..And...

No, she couldn't.

She ripped the weapon out it along with the spare bullets, and shoved it under her bed like a child hiding dirty laundry. Out of sight, out of mind, right?

Right..

She tried not to think to much about it as she slid the vest out, and blinked as it felt..Well, lighter, both literally and metaphorically.

The pocket that was most likely used to carry the ammunition for the gun was bare. In fact, it could probably house to fit in two or three more flash bangs actually...

With a nod she figured just two would be good, making the limit that she had up to be five at the start.

She looked at herself, before sighing...And carefully ran her finger down her neck and under her shirt a bit, to flick up a chain hidden around her neck. She pulled on it, revealing a carefully carved out wooden locket. It was in an elongated rectangle shape, about the length of her ring finger and the width of her thumb..

One couldn't open it without knowing how to properly turn it..

With a sigh she kissed the carefully carved cover, the Philippines flag etched into it, before hiding the locket back under her shirt. She patted the fabric down, smoothing it over, before grabbing her ax.

She stood there in front of the door for a few moments, contemplating about just staying in bed..Before shaking her head and opening the door, and flickering off the light.

Pyro was walking past her, and stopped when he heard the door open. The male gave a happy little noise, before hooking arms with her and happily taking her down the hallways..

That forced placid look on her face was as unsettling as her drifting and miserable one.

* * *

They team scrunched into a pale van with red letters on it, and off they went. To where? Decoy didn't know, and a part of her /didn't/ want to know..

* * *

(For those unknown to the specific maps: Dustbowl stage 1 is being used)

Decoy stood in their little base of a room with the other men, waiting. The others were at ease it seemed, having done this who knows how many times already..Could be hundreds, thousands..

They had parked the van a little bit away from them, safe and sound, before entering a valley structure. Down several steps and through a once closed gate, they entered a box-like building with metal shutters. Once all of them were inside though, the shutters had closed, and sealed them in.

Then there she was, standing there at the side as they all chatted among themselves and prepared. Weapons checked, ammunition checked, tempers kept _in check_. Well, for now anyway.

She ran a hand through her hair, gulping, and carefully tied her hair back with some gauze. She knotted the fabric, and let her fingers just skim her hair..Before sighing.

Alright...She had this, she-

Her head jutted up at the familiar sound of someone expelling smoke. Breathing out smoke sounded different than just regular sighing...

Breaking out smoke always seemed a bit more intentional, the lips forming in an odd way to make an almost whistle at some times.

Spy was leaning on the wall some feet away from her, smoking the lit cylinder of tobacco..He seemed to feel the stare of another, and glanced around, before finally looking in Decoy's direction. "...Yes?"

...She snapped out of it, having watched the burning tip for a moment, and shook her head. "N-not'ing.."

He hummed, and nodded his head, before carefully walking forward towards the group as the intercom clicked on. " _MISSION BEGINS IN SIXTY SECONDS._ "

She blinked when the iron gate that kept them inside opened up, showing the little fence that they had just locked up.

"Welcome ta Dustbowl lass!" Demo laughed out, patting her shoulder before he ran off with the others. Not knowing what else to do, she ran also, ax still in hand. They made a right around the square building they were in, and a left after passing a wooden structure that looked like a barn.

She seemed...Weary, about going into the mines..But not wanting to be left behind, she ran after the men..

And gazed out at the valley-like structure around her, another wooden building to her right that housed a grey and red circle.

" _Mission begins in thirty seconds."_

"W-wait.." Decoy looked over to Engineer, who was busy building some sort of...Well, it looked like one of those american gas dispensers... "W-what is mission?"

"Don't let tha other team cap point."

.. "Cap...Point?"

Engineer pointed at the red and grey circle in the building near them. "That there red 'n grey thing, that's tha point. We got two, 'n we can't let blue get 'em."

"Ah...Why?"

"That's just our job, Miss."

 _"Mission begins in ten seconds."_

"Now, ah reckon you best find out where y'er gonna stand f'er this." The Texan had already begun to build another contraption, this one a red circular object on three legs, that was beeping. "Tha begginin's the worst part."

" _Five._ "

She felt unnerved by the voice in her headset, adjusting it carefully.

" _Four..Three..Two._ "

She felt her knees lock up then, staring at the gates that were on the other side of the valley.

" _One._ "

A horn blared after the voice said that word, and the gates on the other side opened out.

Hell was unleashed.

She remembered just standing there, trying to understand what was going on as bullets and rockets were flying. Shouts of men filled the air, majority yelling for a Medic. Heavy's laughter and Scout's taunts, the occasional Pyro's mutter...

She blinked for a second, and when she opened her eyes she let out a yell as a rocket came right at her and-

Dead.

* * *

Decoy shuttered as she took that first gulp of air in once more, before running outside of the respawn to promptly try and throw up..Oh yeah, she hadn't eaten that day. Alright, gagging, she was gagging at least.

She coughed, shuttering as she felt her body still tingle from having to be put back together by god-knows-what and how...

"YO DEC!" The metal door beside her opened again, Scout right beside her now. "C'MON MAN! WE GOTTA GO BACK OUT THERE!"

He grabbed her hand and took off, practically flying across the ground with her, not allowing the Filipino any chance to regain her balance..Or her stomach.

The Boston male stopped right in the mines, just outside of the little corner, and put the bullets in his pistol. "Look, ya gotta stay on yo' toes 'n fight. The more kills, even assist, the more money ya get. So get goin'!"

And just like that, he was back out there it seems.

The female was stunned, to say the least. The boy was, what, twenty or so years younger than her maybe? Younger than the others? Yet he just told her rather blatantly about how the payment was made.

All the others had focused on just getting her back to normal, and so did Scout at first. Hell, she was probably an odd sight to see, just ghosting about and spectating them with a blank look..

But he brought up the one thing that they all had probably come to this job for.

The money...

"Decoy." Spy's voice came through her headset, making her jump.

"O-oo?"

"I need you, Engineer on Blue is making a sentry near control, zhere Heavy is guarding."

"Where are you?"

"Just teleport to me."

..Teleport?

She blinked down at the odd watch on her wrist, and gulped softly as she stared at it. She could barely stomach the thought of respawning, but now _teleporting?.!_

 _.._

Decoy bit her bottom lip, and nodded. "W-which button?"

"...What buttons are zhere?"

She looked at them. "Uhm...Shoe, juggl'ee'ng th'ee'ng, p'ire, p'ist, circle an-oh, t'at a bomb...Wrench, a Plus, odd...C'ee'rcle...Knip-"

"Knife."

"Ah?"

"I am ze knife."

"Oh!"...Reluctantly and cautiously, she tilted her upper torso away from the watch, closing her eyes, and pressed the button.

Everything felt electrifying for a moment. Like stepping into a puddle that also has a live wire, and your entire body had fallen asleep...

Then she opened her eyes and felt an odd sense of vertigo as her vision spiraled into existence. She stood atop an odd wooden hut that was beside the enemy gate..Smack dab in front of her?

A-

..

A blue-clad Heavy and Engineer?

Wait, hold up...

Why..

Why did they look exactly like her own team mates?

She paused, blinking at the sight, before feeling a squeeze on her shoulder from the invisible French man. "Remember your job."

And just like that, he seemed to be gone.

Decoy at first was questioning many things, her mind trying to process a truck load of information at once..

Before remembering that one golden thing.

The money...

Right..

Remember your job.

She slid out two Flashbangs from her vest and unplugged them, and without pause she threw both right at the two Blue attired males. One landed squarely between them, the other clinked right between two firing guns on the odd Engineer machine that spun.

She turned away and closed her eyes as they both exploding, making a sharp explosion. Flecks of red busted out along with a thick cloud of smoke.

"HEAVY CAN'T SE-" A familiar gurgle that was similar to the one Soldier gave, Spy's knife had met him it seems.

"Spy's sappin' mah se-" And then the Engineer gave the same sort of noise, along with an odd electronic sound..Like bad static on an antique radio..

A part of her felt some form pride in her job, in all actuality. She had aided her team in keeping the control point safe!

She paused when an odd blue and grey-black cylinder fell into her arm, glancing down for a moment to see the Blue Demoman on the ground beside the buildi-

Dead.

* * *

The second respawn felt harder than the first it seemed, and actually made Decoy fall to her knees. Nothing.. _Nothing._ Felt right...

Note to self, quit giving monologues and quit thinking so much in battle.

Yeah, that was a tip that she could live by.

She paused for a moment, getting up on shaky legs, leaning against the wall a bit.

A pair of rubber gloves though brought her back down, and made her sit down. "Fraulein, I can't have you go."

"H-huh?"

"Look at you, you are paler zan me!" The German seemed to laugh at his own joke. "Do you honestly zink you can fight?"

"Uhm..."

"Exactly. Now, I need you to stay put, 'und rest a bit. Zee enemy won't even need to hit you to make you fall down at zis rate.." She could only nod her head. Who was she to go against a licensed doctor? "Good, now, don't leave till zee one minute comes, ja?"

"Oo.."

He smiled and nodded, leaving as he equipped an odd gun filled with syringes.

Once he was gone though, she shuttered. The Medic could be down right scary at times, even when he wasn't trying..

So she waited it seems, sitting in the room, trying to level her head and thoughts.

" _Alter, the Control Point has been contested._ "

She jumped up at the sudden announcement, before biting her bottom lip. That..That sounded like she should help..But Medic..Oh geez, the man had literally done _something_ to her to help her respawn, who knows what he could do to her if he was angry!

"DECOY!" The woman flinched at her head piece, Scout shouting into her ear. "WHERE ARE YA?.!"

"O-On my way!"

Alright, what to do..

Medic was a furious man who could most likely rearrange her bones in her sleep.

Scout was a scrawny imp with a bat, a gun, and some soda..

...

Yeah, she was gonna listen to the Medic.

" _Mission ends in sixty sec-_ "

She didn't wait to hear the rest of the sentence, she just ran out of the spawn and past a red spinning device on the ground. She didn't know what that was, and a part of her did not want to find out right now.

She just ran back to her allies, ax in hand and-

She grunted as she bumped into thin air, and feeling an odd deja vu...

"SPY!" Decoy shrieked out, swinging her ax wildly in front of her as her team's Pyro came running from the front line, fire blazing.

In a matter of seconds a man's yells met her ears as she watched a blue tinted figure run around, enflamed. "FIREFIREFIRE!"

...

Pyro glanced at Decoy, and pointed at the yelling man. "Hm?"

"H-huh?" She blinked, and saw him point at her ax. Oh... "O-Oh, no...Y-You can..Ha'b'e h'ee'm."

The masked man didn't ask twice as he took out his ax and swung at the partially invisible man. In seconds the body fell to the ground, a blue spy singed and bloody...

" _Mission ends in thirty seconds._ "

Decoy stood there, watching the man's dead body.

She didn't know why she did in all honesty. Maybe a part of her had hoped seeing the body disappear would give her some sort of...Possible relief, or reassurance...

It didn't.

To see the blood and the body just vanish after a few seconds like they weren't there? It was like watching the perfect crime being committed, a perfect crime that never happened...

Her attention flickered back up though as a blue little light skimmed over her eyes, and she glanced up to see the Blue Snip-

* * *

...

Decoy laid in the respawn room, staring at the ceiling as she hears the Announcer woman tick off the last few seconds of the mission. The cool linoleum was very welcoming to the back of her head.

Cautiously she put her fingers on her forehead, feeling where the bullet had gone through..

This wasn't right..

She should be dead.

 _Dead_ dead.

Not this half-assed respawn dead...

"Oi, Lass." She was shot out of her own thoughts by Demo as he stood above her, lightly kicking her foot. "Time ta go."

"H-huh?"

"First job 'uh the day's done!"

That...That was it?

Slowly she forced her upper torso up, and tried to understand and process the-

"Gah, c'mon!" The Scottish man took her hand and pulled her up, and lead her out of the Respawn. "If ya have too much on yer mind, you'll just get a worser headache."

Boy, weren't those words the truth...

* * *

Dinner tonight was on Spy, who had made some sort of bird dish...

A 'pan roasted squab' with some sort of sauce beneath it. To say the least? It was delicious, and odd at the same time.

Decoy had tried to push away the thoughts of the battle as much as she could, focusing on the dinner before her.

Back home, chicken wasn't this...Well, elegant, she felt.

They raised them, slit the throats, boil them, pluck the feathers, then feast usually. Or if times were poor, they would just sell the raised chicken with the rest of the live stock and produce they made..

"So, Decoy." Heavy hummed out beside her, glancing down at the smaller figure. "How was first war?"

... "New."

He hummed, nodded his head, and continued to eat the tiny meal. It didn't take much to know that he probably wasn't happy with the size, but he also knew that arguing with Spy just wasn't the best either..

Spy..

The image of the dead spy before flashed in her mind, making her shutter.

No, no, she had to eat _something_ today. Even this poor excuse of an avian bird.

* * *

...

After a short call home once again the woman took a shower, trying to wash away the memories.

When that didn't work she just put on a shirt and some pants, and went out onto the roof.

"Snip'ee'r." She mumbled out a small greeting, sitting beside him.

"Hello sheila."

...

The silence was a dead give away it seemed, something was on her mind...

"..Why does t'e ot'eer team look like-"

"Look." The Australian cut her off with a raised hand. "...Do ya want tha money at tha end of the week."

"Y-yes!" She nodded her head fiercely at the question. She needed it..

"Then don't go askin' questions like that, 'specially around tha' base...They're watchin' every hallway 'n room, ah think.."

They?

She blinked in confusion, and before she could ask he got up. "Welp, ah need ta go 'n get some sleep. You'll need some too, tah'morrows another big day 'uh work."

He left the rooftop with that to cut off their conversation..

Without much of a choice, the Filipino left the rooftop with a worried frown.

Who was watching them?

* * *

Thank you, I hope you have all enjoyed, and I'll see you next time.

Review and rate as you deem fit.

I'll answer any questions that you have, with in the bounds of not giving away too many spoilers.


	5. Me, Myself, and I?

I'd like to note that this chapter (and the rest of this fanfiction) contains several of my personal headcannons for the TF2 group.

Also I'd like to point out that majority of the time with the accents, especially the American ones, the over-accent is intentional. We are seeing things through a sort of third person omni-present perspective on Decoy's own take of the group and the things around her. Thus, the accents are even more foreign to her at times.

As for the explanation of the candle, majority of the Philippines is Roman Catholic, and in many religions candles are often used to make a sort of connection between God or to simply dispel the emotional darkness around a person.

Sorry for the long wait also. Exams are getting started up, plus it was my brother's birthday and a nephew-in-law got born so...Yeah, been sparse on time.

Thank you, that is all for now.

Enjoy!

* * *

Decoy shuffled back into the base, groaning as she popped her back with a small grunt. A full week of non stop missions had slapped her in the face it seemed, and it was all reminiscent of that first battle.

Get killed a lot.

Get yelled at a lot.

Get _some_ assist kills via Spy, with a few sometimes from Heavy or Sniper...

Man, was this how Medic felt?

If so then that guy _deserved_ a raise...

"Congrats Maggot!" Soldier's booming voice made the Filipino jump, and give a grunt when he slapped her on the back. "You made it through your first week of war!"

"H-ha..Ha...Yeah..." She gave a shaky smile, and murmuring to herself. " _Barely..._ "

"This calls for a celebration!"

"Hu-"

Just like that she was dragged away and the men seemed to be giving her some what pitying looks. Dear god, what was going to happen to her?

It didn't take long actually, their walk was rather short as they went outside to the training area. He made a few turns, going to the place that he always seemed to head off in during training periods...Well, when he wasn't yelling at her to shoot the targets, anyway.

"Let me tell ya Decoy, I was worried that you weren't gonna stay around long." The male hummed out as they walked. "Away from home, your loved ones, it can make any good warrior feel like turnin' around and runnin' back."

She looked up at Soldier, quirking an eyebrow. "..Uh-huh.."

"But you! You've kept on tugging! Sure ya stumbled around a lot, but ya still got through it! Now look at where ya are, done with your first week of real _war_. Some men would have turned around and peed their little cupcake undies after looking at what you have seen! Yet you still look ready to fight!"

"..Uh...Huh.."

"I'm proud of you." He grinned, patting her back. "Which is why I think you deserve to see my heads."

...His...

Heads?

They turned around a building and she looked right on ahead, pausing and taking a step back when she sees an actual row of heads...Okay...That...

That was unsettling...

"Well? What do ya think?"

She looked up at the proudly beaming Soldier. It seemed as though he was showing her his war trophies basically...Okay, be nice. Just...Just pretend that it was pig heads! Yeah! Yeah, that's good! Easier to think about! "T'ey are wonderp'ul."

"Thank you! Took me a good, long time ta get them all. But I toughed it out! Ya see, the Scout one was from a battle that we had in back a few months ago. He was a slippery one and.."

Decoy was left to nod her head, glancing at the heads and forcing the image of pig ones..

Fat.

Bloody..

Juicy...

Succulent..

Roasted-

Oh _shoot_.

Was it bad that she was getting hungry at the thought of the heads on the fence...?

"Uhm.." She cut off the Soldier, earning a confused look from him. "Maybe...We should eat-g'ee't food?"

He grinned and nodded his head, giving her a proud pat on the back. "Just like a warrior of war! Good and hungry after a battle! Alright, I'll whip up some of my grade-A MRE food! You'll love it!"

* * *

She didn't love it.

In fact the food just sat in her stomach like a brick.

It was the toughest battle that she and the other mercenaries had faced that day. Yet they all pulled through, and got out of there by some stroke of luck.

"Wait! There's left overs!" Soldier yelled out after them as they practically bolted out of the room. "Hmph..Welp, more for me then."

* * *

The next day at work, everyone seemed rather up beat. No one was slouching, and even Decoy seemed a bit hopeful for today's agenda. If everything went according to plan, then they can keep the checkpoints like usual.

She ran up ahead with Scout, grinning as she kept her ax smoothly in her hands, waiting in the valley of Dustbowl to peek through the metal gate.

"G'day Sheila." The Blu Sniper hummed out, tipping his hat to her as the seconds ticked on.

"Ah, hello Snip'ee'r. How are you?"

"Fine, thank ya' for askin'."

"No probl'ee'm, ready to die?"

"Heh, we'll see who'll be dyin' ta'day."

The BLU sniper was the only person who she could distract like this. Scout, Soldier, and Demoman weren't very focusing on just one person. Heavy and Medic would team up and get everyone with Pyro. The Engineer was a stationary soul, and wouldn't get easily distracted from his machines..Spy was terrifying to tease or talk to like this..

So that left the distant and watching Sniper to be victim of verbal game play.

She was a bit worried actually about the smirk that was on his face as he took the steps back to go back behind the corner. Something...Wasn't right..

Something didn't _feel_ right..

 _"Mission begins in ten seconds."_

She shook off the feeling, shaking her head a bit as she took a few steps back, brandishing her ax.

" _Five.._ _Four..Three..Two.. One._"

The horn blared and the gates opened, with Decoy waiting aat the entrance of the middle gate..And paling as a figure stepped around the corner instead.

It wasn't just any figure though..

It was _her_.

Quite literally.

The RED Decoy was staring at the BLU dressed one, the clothing similiar besides colors. Red was blue, orange was silver, yellow was slate grey, and black was...Well, still black actually.

Both woman took a step back, eyes wide as they stared at one another..They leaned to the right, and leaned to the left, trying to understand just _what_ they were seeing..

Before finally understanding that what they were looking at, was _themselves_.

The RED Decoy opened her mouth to speak, and saw her BLU counterpart had done the same..Each closed their mouth, paling...

"DECOY! NEED YA OUT HERE!" They each glanced at the BLU Scout, and the two woman looked at each other..

"No hard feel'ee'ngs." The BLU Decoy hummed out, before actually pulling out her Primary gun.

The RED Decoy paled, and turned to run away, when she gave a yell when the bullets ripped through her.

Dead.

* * *

The RED Decoy gasped as she came back to life, coughing as she let go of the held breath, like usual. Did..Did she just get killed by _herself_?

That wasn't right..

That was so wrong to all sorts of degrees..

"Darn Sp'ah.." Engineer murmured as he was respawned beside her, and blinking at the woman's hunched over stature. "What's wrong?"

"O-Ot'eer team...D-Decoy..."

The male seemed to understand in an instant what she meant, and gave her a little pat on the back. "Hey...Don't worry, ah know it's rough 'ta begin wit', but you'll get used ta' it soon, 'n then-"

" _Alter, the Control Point has been contested._ "

"...We gotta go." Engineer sighed, already getting out his little device to build things. "..You c'n stay here 'uh bit, 'n catch y'er breath though."

"S..Salamat po." The words fell into the air as the man ran out after speaking, already back into the nit and grit of the war around them.

* * *

Decoy had spent a good minute in their Spawn, trying to get a hold of herself. In that time she watched her teammates get sent through the Spawn room, and run back out..Yet it didn't stop the other team from capturing the first control point. And now paled when she saw her BLU counterpart running around, in the open space in front of the building housing the second control point, flashing a flashlight up in the air-No...Not in the air, it was at an upper ledge.

Looking at the direction, she saw that it was at her team's Sniper.

Oh..

 _Oh_...

She gritted her teeth as she could only watch for a moment, her legs not letting her run. Come on, Decoy. This was what you were _supposed_ to do! So just-Nope, the RED Sniper had gotten snipped by his own BLU counterpart.

For a second, all she could see was red as the blood splattered over the side of the building a bit, watching it trickle down the wood.

Finally, her body let her run. This time though, she ran right at her own self, her tongue thirsty for blood.

It was the same craving she had back in the Philippines while on a job, waiting and yearning for that red liquid on her hands. Dripping down her fingers and staining the dirt bellow her.

By the time her BLU self had turned around to look, Decoy was in mid-swing of her ax.

She watched as the blood splattered out for a moment, the metal cutting the other woman's cheek completely. A pained and shocked scream similar to her own resonated in her ear as she took another swing, metal colliding with a collarbone.

Another swing, this time right at the rib case. The body fell down for a moment, the other trying to get up..

Yet the chilling leer of the RED Decoy stayed with her, and planted a foot on the other's stomach. A pained whimper was heard instead, and Decoy held up her ax for the final blo-

Boom.

Headshot.

* * *

RED Decoy winced as she coughed up the gulp of air she had taken, her hunger for air having caused her to choke. What...Had she just done?

She had been so close it seemed..To killing herself.

But..That couldn't be her, could it?

No...Nonono, that was impossible.

There was no way that other woman was her. Only _she_ was herself. Yeah...Yeah!

That just must be some female that looked like her...Exactly...

Yeah...

* * *

BLU Decoy winced as she coughed up some blood, Medic running over to her swiftly and giving her a quick blast of his healing ray. What..Just happened?

She had been so close to being killed...By herself..

But...That couldn't be her, could it?

She laid a cautious hand over the wound that had been on her torso, the ax-made cavity gone...

No...No, that was impossible.

Just another woman, who looked exactly like her...

Yeah...

"Come, comrade." Medic hummed out, holding out his hand to her. "Let's get z'at control point."

She smiled, and nodded, taking the man's hand. No mercy.

* * *

" _You've failed_!"

The words rang out as Decoy stood right outside of her spawn, watching as her team mates all seemed to shrink up. What...Did that mean?

She felt her heart drop when the BLU Pyro started running towards them, his flamethrower just waiting to engulf another victim.

She tried to unhook one of her Flashbangs, and was bewildered by why she couldn't even get them off of her vest.

What..What was this?.!

She didn't have much time to think though as the flames finally met her, and let out a ghastly cry as her skin flared. Carbon monoxide filled her lungs quickly as she flailed around, trying to put out the sparks.

Only to come face to bullet with the enemy Heavy.

Dead.

* * *

Decoy sighed as she folded up her red work attire for the evening, dumping it into a dirty laundry hamper that she had...And collapsed on her bed, curling up to the pillow. She had almost killed herself..Yet it wasn't herself..

Ugh..

She needed to talk to someone...

Maybe..

* * *

Decoy sighed as she carefully walked into a church that was a good ways away from her work place, fixing her black dress. It was a simple one, a clean black fabric with no extra trimmings or anything..

She wore a pair of black flats, and carefully glanced around for a moment...Her usual bandana was exchanged for a silk scarf it seems, which she has gently around her neck.

Before carefully going into the confessional stall, and sitting down gently. Once she heard the other side step in, she sighed softly.. "Bl'ee'ss me fat'er, for I ha'b'e sinned. My last con'p'ession was two years ago..."

"What have you done wrong, my child?"

"I...I.."

"...Speak, the lord knows no bias nor judgement. He will forgive you, should you choose to confess.."

"..I ha'b'e tried to...Kill..Mysel'p."

"And why is that?"

"Because ee't ee's my job.."

"Your job to who?"

"My job to...Mysel'p..."

"Then instead focus your courage and strength to another."

... "T'ank you, fat'er..."

"Of course my child."

"I am sorry for t'ese and all the sins of my past li'pe." She smiled softly as she heard him say her penance, and offered her to say an act of contrition. With a bowed head, she spoke. "Oh my God, I am heartily sorry p'or ha'b'ing o'p'ended you and I detest all my sins, because I dread the loss of hea'b'en and the pains of hell. But most of all because I ha'b'e o'p'ended you, my God, who are all good and deser'b'ing of all my lo'b'e. I p'irmly resol'b'e with the help of your grace, to con'p'ess my sins, to do penance and to amend my life. Amen."

She listens to the words of absolution, and made the cross carefully with the priest. "Give thanks to the Lord for He is good."

And right after the Priest had said that, she replied. "P'or His mercy endures fore'b'er."

With that she exited the confessional and left with a pleased smile..

And pausing when her mirror image for the apposing team stepped into view, the two glancing at each other...Before nodding to one another, and going their separate ways. Neither of them was going to start a fight in a holy place.

* * *

Decoy sighed as she stepped back into the RED Base, adjusting the silk scarf around her neck with a shiver. While confessing did help a bit, it didn't dispel the feeling of guilt and odd fascination in her stomach.

Why had the other woman been there? Could she have followed her?

No...She had made sure she wasn't followed...

Could she have been looking to confess also?

Eh, maybe...

But she couldn't tell right now, and a part of her just didn't care. Thus she was left to enjoy herself as she walked to her bedro-

"Well hello there!" Her eye twitched when she heard Scout behind her..Turning around, he seemed surprised. "Whoa-Dec...?.! Damn, where are _you_ goin'?"

"Nowhere."

"Well hey, me 'n you could-"

"No."

"But I didn't even-"

"No."

"B-"

" _No_." She huffed and left to go to the kitchen first, getting a quick cup of water with a hum. She gulped it quickly, pulling down her scarf to quench her thirst for a few seconds.

She set her cup into the sink with a sigh, and put her head in her hands for a few moments. Okay. Calm down..Talking to the priest may not have worked as well as she had planned, but she would be fine.

Even a person who almost committed technical suicide could be redeemed.

But..That wasn't herself though. She couldn't forget that...Wait, then did she lie to the Priest?

Great. That was just fucking great. She grumbled sourly as she adjusted her scarf over her mouth, and walked out of the kitchen and into the dining room. Only Demo and Heavy were there, and while they gave her a simple look over, they decided not to comment. Mearly nodded to her.

Demo though did point his bottle in her direction with a quirked eyebrow, and she shook her head. No alcohol. Alcohol would only muddle her mind right now, and though it sounded tempting, she needed to think. The Scottish man nodded back at her, and took a swig of the amber fluid himself, with Decoy being on her merry way.

She walked through the halls for a good while, going back to her own room in a mist of silence.

The only time she was brought out of it when Pyro seemed to pass by her, and grabbed her arm, bouncing for some reason. "Hm? What ee's ee't Pyro?"

He didn't respond, just simply tugging him along and into his own room.

Most parts of the walls were a bit charged or burned, and all around there seemed to be candles. Stuffed animals were hazardly thrown about, along with paper and crayons it seems.

The place was a fire hazard just waiting to be lit, it felt like..

A perfect room for a Pyro, really.

She was sat on the oddly well made bed, and watched as Pyro riffled through a box filled with who-knows-what...Before he brought out what could be called little paper flowers. Crudly drawn blossoms with toothpicks stuck in the middles to make stems. They were actually rather cute...

The woman was surprised though when Pyro started putting the flowers in her hair, making a little crown as he hummed behind his mask. Was...This what a 'sleepover' was like?

Eh, she couldn't tell...Her daughter usually didn't let her be around the room when the slumber parties were at their house.

Once Pyro gave her a pat on the back, symbolizing that he was done, she stood up and felt around her hair...Before smiling down at the fire starter. The simple gesture had lightened up her mood a tad bit. "T'ank you, Pyro."

He waved his hand with a flamboyant flare it seemed, as if saying 'oh, it's no big deal'. With a smile she hugged him, and left. This time though she walked past her room, and went right to the pay phones.

She rang up her home, and waited...And smiled when the phone was picked up. "He-"

"Ah, I sorry Miss Ligaya, e'b'eryone asleep or away..." The maid hummed out into

"O...Oh...Okay..."

"W'ee'll you call ah...Later?"

"I...I'll try...When will t'ey be awake?"

"An hour or so..."

"Okay.."

"Goodbye Miss." The phone clicked, and the phone gave it's dial tone...She sighed.

Carefully she got up and left the phone booth, returning to her bedroom to change into her t-shirt and shorts for bed.

Great...

Now fifty five minutes to spare..Now what.

The lingering thoughts of her counterpart finally saw a light in her mind to seep in, having been pushed bath to the far corners of her brain. The sight of her own blood filled the inner dark spaces of her eyes as she blinked.

The warmth of blood flecked onto her skin, and she shuttered.

She usually felt so alive when killing another. But to see her own face on the other side of it...To see what looked like her own blood, and ligaments.

Okay, no.

Just..Don't think about it.

Just forget it.

Just-

She ran right to the bathroom, and emptied out her stomach contents into the toilet. She couldn't handle it. Even the memory was spine chilling.

In that moment she had just wanted to get blood, forgetting all about who she was killing. Or maybe, _what_ she was killing.

She just wanted blood..

She wanted to see that woman dead..

...

Maybe she should ask one of the guys if they had a degree in Psychology. She needed to see a therapist about this.

Maybe Medic had a minor in it..

Eh, conversation for another time, she supposed.

After swishing around the water in her mouth and cleaning up, she returned to the payphones. Once an hour had passed by, she called up the line again...

It was the maid again. "Ah, sorry miss, t'ey gone."

"I see.." She sighed out.

"Sorry.."

"Ee't's p'ine.."She sighed out, and murmured that the money would be turned to her family soon.

With that she hung up the phone and slunk back to her room, flopping down on her bed and forcing her eyes shut. When she started to see the image of her almost dead body though, she clenched them shut to the point where she felt her skin give a pull.

She didn't want to see that.

With a grumble she rubbed clenched fists over her eyes, trying to dispel the image. Yet it was seeped deep into her mind by now. A part of her wondered if the BLU Decoy was having this much trouble...

* * *

The BLU Decoy sighed as she took a swig of her Demo's alcoholic drink, using the amber fluid to forget about what just transpired today.

The liquid scorched her throat, but it was nothing compared to the burning sensation that held over her body.

She still felt where the ax had hit her. Her tongue even nervously ran over her cheek to make sure it was still in tact.

The Filipino shuttered, and carefully got up from her seat beside the passed out Demo. She nodded to her team mates as she past them, gripping the bottle in her hand, and flopping down on her bed.

She drowned her suspicion and dark thoughts with alcohol, and fell asleep with the bottle rolling onto the floor.

* * *

RED Decoy glared at her ceiling, refusing to blink.

Maybe she _should_ have taken that drink from Demo-

No.

No, she swore to never drink. Not again. Not in this life time...

Not until they allowed her..

With a deep sigh she rolled over to curl up against the pillow, and grasped the little locket around her neck. Thinking a small prayer, for her lips couldn't pray anymore right now, she finally fell asleep.


	6. Payroll Paranoia and Placid Pacts

Sorry about the wait everyone, school was pressing down a lot, and I didn't have much time to go back and forth between school, work, sleep, and fanfiction.

Also during this time I was reviewing a bit and trying to think of ideas on how to separate the Decoy class from the others, and trying to manage it all correctly while I was offline.

I actually have the next three chapters planned out, as they have been what I have been working on for the past few months in my off time. I'll be posting them seperatly during these next three-four days, giving them a bit of a look over before I post them...However I would like to ask something, if that is alright.

At times I am scrounging a bit for ideas of some chapters, and I would rather like it if I could get some ideas of what Decoy may face in her adventures of trying to settle in completely. If you have any ideas, please leave them in the comments/reviews.

Those I like/fit Decoy well I'll incorporate into the story, or put it on the 'back burner' for a bit until I find their correct nook to place them. If I get a lot that I don't think may fit in the main story, I may start up a 'short stories' to commemorate those that I believe would be great...! But just can't see in this main story.

* * *

The Filipina gave a strained sigh as she sat in the respawn building, keeping her eyes closed in hopes to stop her tumbling stomach. Every time..Every time this happened, it both got easier and harder to handle.

The feeling was almost becoming second nature it seemed, to breath back into hungry lungs. Yet the mental effect of it all was troubling. Each respawn gave way to new and more confused questions as she glanced down at her unharmed form.

What was the meaning behind all of this?

How were these things happening?

Just what was going on in this hell hole of a place?

..

Were they just in hell? Was that it?

Had she died in that airplane on her way here, and this was hell?

...

She slapped herself after a moment, shuttering. Stop it woman, this was no time to think such things. Your job was still on the other side of that metal door, so you have to get up and-

" _You've failed!_ "

The woman felt her heart plummet as those words sounded out through her headset, and got up quickly. She didn't race towards the door, but she did run..She ran to the metal supply locker, in hopes that it would somehow save her.

Even after so long, she wanted to hold onto some kind of hope to get away from all of this..To not have to die again..

That didn't happen though as the BLU Pyro entered the Respawn...Before happily setting her ablaze.

* * *

The Administrator sighed out a cloud of smoke as she looked over the numbers before her. Total kills, deaths, assistant kills..All of the action of the blood stained field, all packed and neatly wrapped up in these papers.

Throughout the time of her position, she knew the basics of how each person on the teams would react. Some areas and days would work well for some, others not so much..

But since she had gotten there, Decoy had managed to get killed even quicker than she had predicted. She had expected much better results from the Filipino... .Hm...Perhaps a little motivation was in order.

* * *

The Filipino blinked softly as she watched Miss Pauling hand out envelops to the team, smiling at them. "Good work you guys."

Each male happily took their envelop as Decoy blinked a tad bit when she saw her envelop had a little red 'X' in the bottom corner...And quirked an eyebrow at the purple dressed woman.

"I'd...Consider, in looking into this rather quickly..And privately, Decoy."

"..Uhm...Okay..." Surely it couldn't be that bad, right? Nonetheless, the woman did decide to follow on Miss Pauling's advice, and quickly left to see what this was all about...

* * *

A numb sensation was slowly drifting over Decoy as she sat in her room, staring blankly at a piece of paper in her hands. The walls were slowly closing in it seems as her sight began to decrees further and further until she only saw little glimpses of what was there..

Her breath was held within her chest..

While written English was still away from her grasp, she could at least tell what the numbers were..

She hadn't earned much these past few weeks..She barely earned anything, it felt like.

Her fingers clutched around the white paper, ripping through the thin material easily as her head bowed. She needed the money..She needed to earn more..She needed more.

The brunette paused though when an attached piece of paper slid from beneath the payment one, a little piece of paper that stuck to the larger one..This one had been almost crudely translated into her own native tongue, yet even then she knew what it meant.

" _Get better, or else._ "

* * *

That was the first spark to a flame it felt like. Each training session Decoy would be on her toes, glaring through the wind as she would run and jump. Her heart thucked against her ribcage, wanting to burst free from the bony imprisonment.

Pupils dilated as her surroundings blurred, eyes set on the distance that would never come to an end it seemed.

When she wasn't running, she was swinging.

Ax in hand, yelling and grunting as the slick metal ripped through the cloth and board of training materials.

Her tongue tingled as imaginary images and scents filled her body. Blood, flesh, decay...

She needed to get used to this..She needed to get that money..

The woman even pushed back the urges that she felt. Suppressed her hunger and thirst, if only when they arose.

It got to the point though that when the sun had set, Pyro had come outside and dragged her back into the base. That didn't stop her though. Inside she did push-ups and sit-ups, a determined look on her face as she forced past her aching muscles...

Though, she did pause when Pyro had put a bowl of water and a few crackers beneath her. With a nod to him though, she continued on with her training.

* * *

..Decoy awoke the next morning on the ground, droll running down her cheek and onto the floor. She groaned as she stood on her shaking limbs, rubbing at the sleep that littered in her eyes. Her muscles ached for a moment as she shuffled into the dinning area looking like she had already gone out onto the battle field.

Medic was the first one up, and went to her with a quirked eyebrow. Instead of ushering her to the dinning room table, he brought her to his little operating room.

Taking out a flashlight, he nearly blinded the woman as he shined it over them..Murmuring to himself, the male carefully took her pulse and listened to her heart... "..You didn't get much sleep, ja?"

"No."

"Dummkopf...Zat von't do."

"Huh?"

"Zee body needs sleep, and vizout it you von't last out on zee battle field, Fräulein."

"...I'm going out t'ere...And you can't stop me."

"So you zink...Trust me, I can make you stop moving for a long time if I vanted...Now go to bed, 'und rest. _Maybe_ if you do zis, I'll let you come to the mission today..But for now? No, you are not going out today."

...Decoy grumbled as she slowly got up and shuffled back to her room, frowning as she fell onto her mattress without closing the door..

Once her face hit that pillow though, she didn't care, it was lights out.

* * *

She woke up by a rubber glove shaking her shoulder, and bleary eyes blinking to see Pyro standing over her.. "Oh..Hello.."

The rubber suited male happily waved his hand, before pushing something into the tanned woman's hands...Slowly, her eyes blinked the items into focus.

It was a sandwich, plus a wrapped cookie it seemed..

They weren't given much thought though as Pyro pulled her up and out of her bed, and tugged her along. Through the hallways, out the doors, and into the awaiting van that was filling with their team mates.

Medic gave her a look, glancing her over it seemed...Yet could only sigh once Sniper had pulled away from the building. "Fine...But look, if you feel dizzy, z'en _sit dovn_. Got it? Ve don't need you just running amok vizout a care in ze vorld."

"Yes, we don't need two Scouts."

"HEY!" The Boston yelled, glaring at Spy.

* * *

It was..

It was...

..Control point, right?

Decoy couldn't remember..

Her mind was bubbling slowly, swirling in thought as she leaned against a wall within the Respawn.

They were back at Dust...Dusty..Something..

She had already died by the hands of her BLU counterpart. The other woman looking similar to her..

The two of them had heard the same news, it seemed...

Yet that didn't mean she had to feel sorry for her, right?

After all, it was that other woman's fault...

Yeah..

YEAH!

It was...!

If that BLU woman wasn't doing so good, then it wouldn't make the RED Decoy look so bad!

She...

..Her eyes slowly opened and widened as a thought finally hit her slowly processing mind..

 _She_ was part of the reason she wasn't earning so much money..

Rage started to make her arm shake as her eyes blurred in fury. Her jaw set into a clench as her hand grasped her ax's handle.

In a blind fury her feet ran out. Her entire body was in full swing as she slid and stumbled around corners.

She ignored the blaring yells from her team as she ran past their defense. Hell, she even jumped over Engineer's dispenser once she had seen her..

The woman had just come out of the safety of her own spawn, loading up her gun..

Only to look up and get head butted by the other.

With the BLU female down, the RED raised her ax, yelling out incoherant words. She didn't go for the face, as apposed to her usual strategy of attacks.

After all, getting at the eyes was usual quick for her..

Now though?

The ax's blade dug into the blue material of her enemy's torso. Gargled cries and shoats fell upon deaf ears as the metal broke through bones and flesh.

Her swings became a blind act of rage, and continued to dig into the ground once the body was gone..

Scout ended up having to pull her away. "DEC! CALM DOWN! THA' BODY AIN'T EVEN THERE ANYMORE!"

Decoy panted, her chest convulsing almost as she stared at the chipped away ground..And slowly nodded, wiping her blood soaked hand over her face, closing her eyes... "S-sorry, sorry...I-I just-"

She heard a familiar rain-like sound behind her, and turned just in time to see 'Scout' stab her in the back, the BLU Spy's disguise fading away.. "You shouldn't have lost yourself, madam."

Dead.

* * *

BLU Decoy sighed as she rubbed the back of her neck...She was frowning softly as she sat on the ground in her respawn.

That had been terrifying to say the least. To watch the unyielding rage of her RED self overwhelm her...To actually see a barbaric side of her other half..

Yet at the same time she felt fear and almost shock...She knew she couldn't hate her.

After all, they had both gotten the same news, most likely...

Typhoon season had already started up in the Philippines..Typhoon Phyllis had almost reached the main land.

Sure, it hadn't actually hit the island, but the after effects were felt.

Especially to the two woman away from their home...

* * *

The RED Decoy laid in her Respawn, on her back as she had her eyes closed, trying her best to settle the tide of emotions that were drowning her mind..

Slowly her clenched eyes smoothed out as a dream lulled her away from reality, just for a few moments...

* * *

(Spoken in Tagalog, translated in English for your easier enjoyment)

 _A young Decoy frowned as she sat curled up against her mother, shuttering and shaking at the sounds of the rushing wind outside...They were safe for a moment..Tearfully, the little girl looked up at her mother. "Mom?"_

 _"Yes Princess?" The older woman hummed out, gently petting down the young girl's hair.._

 _"Why do Typhoons happen?"_

 _"Because, God wants to make sure that the plants get plenty of water."_

 _"Then..Why do some people die during Typhoons?"_

 _"It's God's way of making the bad people wash away their sins, so they can be accepted to heaven.."_

 _"Oh..."_

 _"Now come, try to sleep, alright? In the morning we'll have to see if we have to replant everything.."_

 _"Yes, mom.." She ended up laying against her though, feigning sleep as the wind yelled against the house's walls.._

* * *

Slowly, Decoy opened her eyes once more, hearing the final victorious shout of the Administrator as her team had won...

That explanation from back then had felt so nice, it seemed..

It made her think that only bad people were hurt by Typhoons..Her family wasn't bad...

Yet could you really call a family of a killer good?

...

The thought pressed against the woman's mind as she shuffled out of the respawn and went to the van, wanting to run herself over.

But Pyro got to her first, and tugged her inside the van with a rather worried 'mmh', and let her lean against his shoulder so she could sleep.

And sleep she did.

* * *

Decoy sighed as she stumbled into the little phone booth and nudged the door closed. Listlessly she raised her hand and dialed the number, head bowed as she bit the inside of her cheek..She felt little tears prickle her eyes as the phone finally picked up.

" _Hello?_ "

"Hello, Ace.."

" _Ate! Hello~ It good to hear you again._ "

"Yes. I..It's good to hear you, too.." Her voice cracked a bit at the end of her statement, and on the other side of the conversation, there was a sigh...

" _Ate...I said to you, we no hit by t'e Ty'p'oon.._ "

"I-I know! I know, I just...Just..." A few more tears escaped from her eyes as she clenched them shut..Slowly, she took off the bandanna around her, and wiped them away with the cloth.. "..What if you had?"

" _Ate, you can't t'ink like t'at!_ "

"But I can't a'p'ord not to..!" She yelled, slamming down her hand. "I'm not t'ere! I won't be able to p'ind out i'p you all die or not until I'm p'inally allowed to b'isit!"

A strained silence befell both lines as the two siblings stayed silent. Decoy's frantic breaths were the only breaks in the fragile stillness...Until finally- " _T'en maybe you shouldn't ha'b'e taken t'at job._ "

She couldn't respond, feeling rage build up inside of her. Yet that was also cut rather quickly when her brother continued.

" _Look, I ha'b'e to go Ate. Makisig, Raul, 'n Malaya are waiting._ "

"W-wait, let me talk to t'em...! Please, I-I ha'b'en't-"

" _Bye Ate._ "

Ligaya could only sit there as the dial tone filled her ear.

Her body finally decided to move out of the seat after a few minutes had passed. She hung up the phone, put on her bandanna, and walked out of the slightly opened booth..Only to blink in surprise to see Heavy outside, staring at her.

Had he...?

...

She didn't ask, and simply walked past him after a small nod of her head. The Filipino did the same with any other member of the team she would pass on the way to her room.

Once inside the calm and safe boundaries of the four walls, she locked the door...And curled up around her pillow, the tears silently coming as she drifts off to a nightmare filled dream.

* * *

In the morning Decoy slowly tugged out of bed and stretched in the bright early morning sunlight..This was the first time since she got here that she didn't wake up early enough to see the sun breaching the horizon.

Slowly she exited her room, only to blink down at Miss Pauling, who was standing right outside her door with a small fist raised. "Oh! Decoy, hi..! I was actually just about to-"

"What you want?" The Filipino grumbled out, rubbing the back of her neck. Damn it, she had gotten a crink in it, hadn't she?

"Oh, well...Heavy had called me last night, saying that you were kind of low on money...I can give you a contract, if you'd like. If you do good, then I'll be sure to give you more when more contracts are starting up...But since you're new, I'll just give you small ones."

"..I..T'ought I already ha'b'e contract wit' you..."

"Oh! Oh nonono, these contracts are kind of like...Well, jobs within your job. When you complete a contract, then I'll give you either a weapon or some money."

"I'll...Take money, please..."

"Sure thing..!" Miss Pauling smiled, nodding a bit as she handed a file to Decoy...Before slowly handing her a sealed envelop. "Also, this was in your mail.."

"Oh..Salmat po..."

"No problem. Anyway, see ya...!"

"Bye.."

Decoy slowly closed the door, and locked it as she stared down at the two items in her hands..Slowly she put down the manila file, and ripped open the envelop.

Her eyes widened as she saw several hundred dollar bills in there..Along with a letter, from an even more surprising sender.

* * *

(written in Tagalog, put into English for your convenience)

 _Hello, RED Decoy._

 _It is BLU Decoy. Hello._

 _First off I would like to say that while I should that I know this is odd..Yet I do not mean you any harm or negativity in all of this. You and I are facing same problem._

 _I also see how this is troubling you...As a fellow Pinay, I do not want you to fear for your home. So I wish to give you these few bills. I know a little can go a long way, especially back home.._

 _Yet if you ever need help at home, please, do not be afraid to ask me. I know how hard it is back home, and to be worried about them..._

 _I wish you the best of luck._

 _Signed, BLU Decoy._

* * *

RED Decoy could only blink in surprise at the letter, and slowly blinked away the tears that were forming once more.

Slowly though she let the grateful droplets fall onto the paper as she smiled. Thank you..

* * *

Once she had calmed down and cleaned up her tears, she exited her room and made her way to the dinning room. Yet Medic ended up pausing her trip as she rounded the corner, putting a rubber glove on her shoulder.

"Ah, Decoy! Just zee woman I wanted to see..!"

"..Oh?"

"Ja, look..Heavy has told me about your little..Money, issue.." Decoy winced a bit at this, frowning a tad under her bandanna. "And I think I have a way to help you out."

"I don't want to take mo-"

"Nonono, I'm not giving you ze money...You'll earn it. You see, I need a few...Organ donors, if you vill, for ze team. What wiz Demo's drinking and Spy's smoking...Respawns don't heal ze decay, only ze actual death..And I zink ze men would follow you a bit more...Easier, zan zey would come wiz me. Less chance of damaging one of zee organs I need..."

The Filipino blinked her eyes...Before grinning and nodding her head, not fully understanding what she was signing up for..But if it got her money, and she earned it, then she was in. "Alright..!"

"Ah-Vonderful! Oh, and if you ever go out on ze field like zat again after I tell you no? I'll slice your tendons to vhere you can't valk, and vill leave you like zat until I feel like you have learned your lesson. Auf wiedersehen~ See you in ze dining room!"

Decoy stood there with a rather shocked look on her face..Yet slowly snapped out of it in favor of continuing onto the dinning room for breakfast..Only to be stopped by Engineer, who gave her a small smile. Damn it, all she wanted was food right now...

"Decoy, ya mind if I talk ta you?"

..Decoy supposed the pig strips of glorious bacon could wait, given it was Engineer..."Oh...Sure, what wrong?"

"Well...Heavy kinda came ta me 'n Pyro...'n told us about...Well, your situation...If ya need any help-"

"I...Salamat po, really, Engi...Howe'b'er...I do not want money p'rom you all...But, if I can..I would like help."

"Oh?" He quirked a small eyebrow, humming softly. "Well, sure..What can I help ya with?"

"Well..."

* * *

During lunch Decoy, Engineer, and Pyro were all hurdled together in one of the corners of the table. The masked male was carefully feeding the female as she wrote in a journal, listening to Engineer as his fingers skimmed over the book between them.

"-Remember, the G 'n the R go ta make Gr. Two E's make it a long 'e', 'n n finishes it off."

"Oo.." The woman murmured, nodding her head as she stared down at the page.

"So, c'mon, read the title for us."

"Gr..Ee...N...E..Ggs..An..D..H..A..M...Green...Eggs...And..Ham..." Decoy slowly spoke out, straining at the moment as her eyes flickered between the book and her journal of notes.

"Mrfer!"

"...What...The _heck_ are you guys readin'?" Scout asked as he finally passed them, plate full of food.

Decoy gave him a bright grin from beneath her bandanna. "Green eggs and ham!"

"...Ooo..Kay then..."

The Filipino didn't care about the odd look she received by the some of the males at the table. This was her first big step into finally being able to read and write in English!

Haha! This was wonderful!

"Now, onto the first page.."

...Oh, there were more words..Right...

This'll take a while.

* * *

Filipino Fun Fact; Pinay is a term for a woman of Filipino origin or descent. The more non-gendered term for this is Pinoy.


End file.
